The Rules vs The Spirit

Much of the behaviour we have seen from MPs lately has been legal. They have put their claims through the Fees Office and had them either accepted or rejected. That is the process. And many are now confused, I am sure, about what exactly they have done wrong when they simply followed the process.

The problem is that when we tell people specifically what they can do they believe they have permission to do it. Rather than thinking about what is right, they simply think "If I am told it is OK, it must be OK".

The same is true in any walk of life. When you tell people what they are allowed to do, they do it to its maximum. You are "allowed" two drinks before you drive. That doesn't mean it is advisable. It doesn't mean it is a good idea. But people often treat this as if it is the rule - "Have two drinks before you drive"! In that sense the MPs are not so different to the rest of us. It is human nature to fight against stringent rules and other people's efforts to control us. We want to see how far we can push the limits.

However, when you deal in "values" and give people the space to decide how to behave within these values, you start to see some surprisingly positive behaviour. In companies with strong values, people are their best selves.

A young man came to repair my dishwasher a few days ago. This was a chap who took huge pride in his work. Because he had worked swiftly and found the source of the problems he had faced that day quickly, he was going home after fixing my machine (about 3pm). This was not someone who needed to be told specifically what to do. He had values around doing a good job, being professional and keeping customers happy. When we try to control other people by telling them exactly what to do and giving them very little room to manoeuvre, we actually encourage people to see how far they can stretch the rules. When we give people the opportunity to live by their values, most will behave well.

Comments

[Doug Shaw]

Thanks Blaire - I agree picking up on that cultural vibe is very easy.

I was recently asked to write a short piece on what a cultural champ could/should do, this has proved useful to others and I hope you don't mind me sharing it here (link @ the end of this post).

Think it's worth holding the company values and the culture up to the light separately. Trace them both and see how much they do/don't overlap. It can often transpire that before you think about culture champs, what you actually need is counter-cultural champs. My experience shows me that too often, there are big differences between those two initial tracings.

http://stopdoingdumbthingstocustomers.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/trust-courage-x-curiosity-possibility-plus-plus/

[Blaire Palmer]

It is very easy to pick up on a company's culture even when nothing explicit is said. It is more about the feel of the place. You know when you are working in an environment where it is acceptable to take responsibility and use your initiative. And you know where you aren't. But even where the culture implies that presenteeism is valued over productivity, it is possible to question those unwritten rules and start making your own.

[Doug Shaw]

This is a very interesting, well written piece. My experience shows me that beyond “If I am told it’s OK, it must be OK”, comes a slowly paralysing fear. Decisions aren’t taken, honest conversations aren’t had and bright sparks are snuffed out.

Occasional fear in small quantities is handy. The adrenalin helps you run, fight or hide until the danger is past. But chronic fear cripples and shrivels you. It reduces your mental capacity and your creativity. It isolates you. It disintegrates organisations, teams and people. That is why Roosevelt said, “You have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” We can learn to diminish our fears and focus our energies more positively and engagingly. We can learn, and good leaders do, and help their people to generate the confidence and openness that brings the connectedness and resilience that enables teams and organisations to succeed in the most difficult times.

I love the way your repair man worked proudly and swiftly before bravely going home early. Productivity beats presenteeism every time and he clearly works for an organisation where that (or something very similar) is valued. Great work repair man, lead the way!